Rush University Medical Center's new $654 million patient tower in Chicago will be able to handle a pandemic or an outbreak of infectious disease when it opens early next year, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
While the new patient tower will feature 304 beds, 40 procedure rooms and an emergency department with 56 treatment bays, the facility is also equipped with an infrastructure and technology in case of a viral emergency. For example, the tower's ambulance bays can be converted into a large decontamination area. In addition, the facility can isolate a quadrant and switch the airflow to send any viruses outside above street level where it cannot be inhaled by humans, according to the report.
Frosted blinds serve as another measure of infection control, since they can preserve patient privacy while eliminating the need for bed curtains that can harbor bacteria.
While the new patient tower will feature 304 beds, 40 procedure rooms and an emergency department with 56 treatment bays, the facility is also equipped with an infrastructure and technology in case of a viral emergency. For example, the tower's ambulance bays can be converted into a large decontamination area. In addition, the facility can isolate a quadrant and switch the airflow to send any viruses outside above street level where it cannot be inhaled by humans, according to the report.
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Frosted blinds serve as another measure of infection control, since they can preserve patient privacy while eliminating the need for bed curtains that can harbor bacteria.
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